This article examines the powerlessness and isolation experienced by many young people in care. While emphasis is often placed on treating the symptoms of such feelings, identification and treatment of the causes is usually dependent on the skills of individuals rather than on a systemic approach that actively encourages consumer participation, a practice designed to increase the accountability of service providers to their consumers. In this paper, consumer participation is defined as the meaningful involvement in the decision making processes of children and young people in care. This article is based on the experiences of the Australian Association of Young People in Care as to how this process may be undertaken.